I have panic attacks about going away from home, but even though the process is not scary the thought of having an attack is! Will this ever go and for me to be normal? It has taken me years to overcome staying out for just one night! I am really testing myself by going to the other side of the world for 3 weeks but I am having attacks about the holiday, a holiday is ment to be exciting but I don't want to go! What should I do?

5 Replies

Hi Jemma, this sounds like panic disorder to me - I found CBT worked quite well to help with it but obviously it takes longer than 3 weeks to make a difference... certainly worth bearing in mind afterwards though. Have you spoken to your doctor or called Anxiety UK up? They are in a better position to give advice than me (well, AUK are anyway...)! But the things I learnt included breathing techniques and mindfulness (do a google search and look for Jon Kabat-Zinn), which is about re-focusing your mind onto other things. Simple rationalisiation about the trip might help if you do it enough (such as 'what's the worst that could happen in certain situations), and making sure you don't feel pressured into doing anything you don't want to do. Do the people you're going with know how you feel? Talking to them may help.

I appreciate this reply isn't overly useful! I know exactly how you're feeling and it's horrible, I hope it goes well and you can enjoy yourself. We'll be thinking of you

4 years agoHidden

Hi Jemma

It also sounds like panic disorder to me which is something i have suffered with since the age of 14yrs old. I was also offered CBT and if someone has mentioned it to you then please take that advice and go. Its not a quick solution as shadow1 states but it has to help in the longterm. I fully understand how your feeling regarding not being afraid of the holiday but being afraid of the panic attacks. I was exactly the same when i went abroad for the first time in my life, i was petrified of getting on the plane and not being able to step outside for air or open a window and stand by it. Well i can only speak from my experience and i took Diazepam to calm my breathing down as this slowed down my heart beat a little which helped with the hyperventilation, i got on the plane, as it was ready for taking off i could feel myself shaking and the voice in my head was saying stop the plane get me back on the ground, but i tried and tried with my head in my knees to accept that no one could hear me and the plane would land soon enough so just enjoy the flight, try and sleep, you know hun when you get to where you are going and been there a day you will ask yourself why you got yourself all worked up when there is nothing to fear. the worse thing about this attacks is how they make you feel so breathless and panicky, and how can you stop yourself from hyperventilating, for me it was just get on with it, i was only away a week and it took me 4 days to calm my breathing down but i tried and tried and this is all any of us can do. So you have a lovely holiday and think about seeing your doctor before you go for some diazepam, they really do calm you down. take care and be positive. You will be fine im sure of it.

I'm like this about being away from home. I used to be agoraphobic (couldn't leave the house at all) but nowadays my agoraphobia is milder so I normally just feel bad if I am leaving my city - and I feel really bad when I leave the country!

My advice: keep pushing yourself to go far away from whatever place you think of as 'safe' (whether this is your home, your city, county etc...) Take whatever opportunity you can to keep putting yourself in scary situations because you do become desensitised.

Also, work out why you are scared. Do you know why you don't like going away? For me, it is that I feel immediately that I am in danger if I am far away from home. I feel scared that I will collapse (I'm terrified of falling unconscious or becoming so ill I can't take care of myself in an area that is far away from home). All I do now is take deep breaths and repeat to myself that there is no danger where I am, there is no danger around me, and I'm not ill so I won't collapse.

Recently I have realised that if I am panicking, I can ask myself what I truly believe is going to happen. I might have spent three hours fixating on slight nausea in my tummy and thinking this shows I will get ill away from home and I will become helpless in an unfamiliar place and I won't be able to get back to my own safe bed.....but when I step away from that thought and ask myself what I really, truly believe, I 99.9% of the time believe that it's all just a bit of anxiety and anxiety is not going to harm me.

Hi Jemmashaw, How I envy you, not about the panic attacks, but the holiday! I love travelling and seeing and experiencing other people, cultures, food e t c it, so uplifting and the old saying travel broadens your mind, is very true.

From reading your post the thing that seems to be worrying you the most is getting on the plane, it may help, but most of the larger of the aeroports run short courses to help people who are afraid of flying. My mate was terrified of flying , he went on a two day course, which he said was brilliant, his fears disappeared and he could,en't wait to get on the plsne. You could visit your Gp discuss your fears about the panic attacks and ask them if they could prescribe some medication to calm you down (as the cost of the trip is so expensive you would hate to lose the money true).Diazipalm, or something similar on a short term basis. All the other advice given by our other friends are for a longer bases help and in three weeks it's doubtful if they would be effective.

My very best wishes to you and I really hope you have a wonderful stress free enjoyable holiday

Jamie

3 years agoHiddenAdministrator

Hi Jamie

This is an old post & this person is no longer a member , I know it can get confusing

If you see a profile picture that is grey'd out that helps you to know they are no longer an active member , we all hope when this happens the reasons are they no longer need support because they are doing well !